Well here we are; the Sunday after Christmas. For most of us the festive season is over. The visiting, the dinners, the special church services, are all behind us now, for another year. All that is left is the memories, most of them good I hope, and for many people credit card bills to pay. Some will be staring exercise programs to get rid of the weight they have gained, and now we can look forward to next Christmas.

Did you know that along with every Christmas comes a controversy it seems? It's a rather significant controversy, that pops up again every Christmas season. It has to do with the virgin birth. It seems as if people want to make an issue out of this important doctrine every year. The controversy began rather early this year in our denomination with our moderator's statements. Other years, the United Church Observer has carried articles denying the Virgin Birth. This year there seems to be a deliberate attempt toward the opposite in the Christmas articles, at least to some extent.

So what should we make of the doctrine of the Jesus being born of the Virgin Mary. Is it a story, as some would have us believe, invented by the writers of Scripture to sort fall in line with the heroes of Greek Mythology who were born of some deity or another? Or to match the Roman belief that Emperors were divine? I can assure you, this is not the case. Those things had absolutely nothing to do with Christianity; never did, and never will.

We should not forget that Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were eyewitnesses to the events about which they wrote in their gospels. These were written very soon after Jesus death, and not hundreds of years after as some would have us believe. Matthew and Luke only mention the virgin birth, and some say that they added it to their gospels in order to give a sense of mystery to the birth of Christ, as well as to the personality of God. I must admit that I have trouble with the word mystery when it is applied to God. Mystery makes me think of something eerie and mysterious, romantic or thrilling. Yes, God is shrouded in a form of mystery, but not in the sense eeriness, or romanticism, but rather in the sense of human incomprehension. The Virgin Birth falls into that category. However, even though we may not be able to understand the how, we certainly can understand the why. There is no mystery about why God chose to use a Virgin to help complete his work of redemption.

There are several reason for us to accept the Virgin Birth as biblical truth. When we stop to think about, if it were not so, we would have deny many other biblical doctrines as well. The deity of Christ, much in question these days, hinges on the virgin birth. His ability to forgive sin hinges on the virgin birth. Indeed, all we have spoken about this advent and Christmas season depends on this important doctrine. If we were to deny that Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, we would deny most everything the Christian Church has stood for over the years. And quite frankly, it bothers me when I hear the moderator of our denomination blatantly deny all that has been the foundation of the church over the years, and that he continues to do so. It bothers me for two main reasons. First, based upon what I know about Scriptures, I believe that he is wrong. I don't think I can say it any plainer than that. In an interview with Gail Reid, editor of Fellowship Magazine, Rev. Phipps himself agreed that it was O.K to think people are wrong. As we shall see, the Bible is clear and plain about this doctrine, which he denies, as he does with so many other things which depend on the doctrine of the virgin birth. Second, it bothers me because all this controversy, I believe, does nothing more than confuse people. I have a suspicion that there are many people in our United Church Denomination who now are beginning to question the integrity of their minister, because they have heard the moderator say that most ministers believe the same things he does, but preach something different. I want to assure you today, that I believe what I preach, and I happen to differ with Reverend Phipps's thinking, as I would suspect, do many United Church ministers.

Now that I've got that off my chest, let's take a closer look at the doctrine of the Virgin Birth. The Bible is clear on the fact that Mary was pure and chaste. When the angel announced that she would give birth to Jesus, she said, "How can this be, as I am a virgin?" Critics of course have their answer ready. One so called scholar writes that "there is really nothing peculiar about the birth of Jesus and that the story is an invention of the Church. Jesus was not God incarnate (God in the flesh) and no virgin mother bore him." In his opinion the Church "in its ancient zeal fathered a myth and became bound to this myth as dogma." So in the mind of many so called scholars, Jesus was the natural son of Joseph.

From what the Bible says about Mary, we may deduce that she was a believer in God, and that she knew God had chosen her for something special. Last week I mentioned the Magnificat, Mary's song. She begins this song of praise with the words, "My heart praises the Lord, my souls is glad because of God my savior, for he has remembered me, his lowly servant." If the virgin birth were not true, would she have been able to say those words, after asking the pivotal question, "How can this be, for I am a virgin?" Would she not be anything more than a hypocrite?

Secondly, the doctrine of the virgin birth is essential to biblical authority. To deny the virgin birth is to deny the word of God. Critics of course would say that Jesus is the only Word of God, and not the Bible, but Scripture itself is clear on it origin, that being the inspiration of God Himself. The Bible records all its events factually. It is not an apologetic, written to defend a certain position, but a factual record, written under God's inspiration to reveal God and purposes, to humanity. No statement in the Bible stands alone. All of Scripture fits together like a marvelous mosaic. God already confirmed the virgin birth some 800 years before it happened. In Isaiah 7:14, God leads the prophet to write, "...the Lord himself shall give you a sign. Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be Immanuel." Critics say that the Hebrew word used for virgin here (almah) can mean just a young woman. It doesn't need to mean virgin. Now when you think about that, what kind of a sign would that be. Young women get pregnant every day, and although each pregnancy can be considered special, it certainly isn't a special sign. But a virgin conceiving, and giving birth to a son, that is special. A child will be born of a virgin, and his name will be Immanuel, which means God with us. This is confirmed for Joseph, in a dream in Matthew. Luke record Mary's reaction. "How can this be, for I am a virgin?" The Greek word used here (parthenos) means exactly that.

And what was the angel's response to Mary? "The Holy Spirit will come upon you. For this reason the Holy Child will be called the Son of God." And then as a parting message, this messenger adds, "for there is nothing God cannot do!" Clearly then, Jesus was no ordinary person, but God in the flesh. He himself said, "I and the Father are one" (John 10:30).

Why is it so important for Jesus to be God? It has to do with the doctrine of sin. If Jesus was going to be the savior he would need to be sinless. Sinful people cannot bring other sinful people into a sinless environment. Now of course, if you don't believe in the doctrine of sin, then it won't make any difference to you. But the Bible clearly states that Jesus was going to save people from their sin, and all people are sinful. Jesus was born of a virgin so that no one would ever need to doubt that God himself was his father. If he were not, Jesus would have inherited human sin. Through the virgin birth Jesus received his humanity, but not the sin that goes with that. The denial of the virgin birth is a denial of human sin, and the sinlessness of Jesus.

The virgin birth is essential to our salvation. We looked at that word in some detail last week. Without a sinless sacrifice our salvation could not take place. The one whose blood was shed on the cross of Calvary, had to be sinless and spotless. "Behold the lamb of God (Jesus) who takes away the sins of the world!" It is he who paid the penalty. When we hear that triumphant cry of, "It is finished!" from the cross, the penalty was paid. With the bodily resurrection of Jesus, the work of salvation was complete. The penalty for sin is death, but Christ has overcome death for us that we may live eternally! There is now nothing left for you and I to do but to trust Him, believe in him, and live a life of total gratitude in obedience to him.

So far I have been talking about theological reasons for the virgin birth, but there is a human dimension to this whole thing too, I believe. We should not forget the importance of motherhood here. Mary was the mother of Jesus. Just think about this. She and Joseph raised him, cared for him, but I'm sure most of that responsibility fell on her. She was a mother. When she heard about his eventual arrest, and the false accusations against him, how did she feel? Perhaps she had even seen being beaten with a cat o' nine tails. She must have heard the that the final accusation was blasphemy, because Jesus had said he was the Son of God. And the angry mob cried crucify Him, crucify him." Mary was a mother. Don't you think she would said something? Don't you think she would have somehow tried to get to Pilate, crying out with great and deep concern for her Son, "Stop...stop this. It's all a lie. He isn't the Son of God, he's my son, and his father was Joseph." But she knew. O, she knew that she was the mother of God incarnate...God in the flesh. And so she remained silent, and wept at the foot of the cross with the other women. Joseph had been told by the angel that Jesus was to save people from their sin, and she believed. Jesus came to destroy sin. What a glorious act of grace and love. God became man to demonstrate his love for us by freeing us from the evil of sin. That is why the virgin birth is of utmost importance. Mary believed. Do you believe it this morning?

Does the doctrine of the Virgin Birth really matter. Yes it does! Now that Christmas is behind us, perhaps we can take some time to think about it. O I know, we will never fully understand it, but then is absolutely necessary to understand all the things of God. God once said "My thoughts...are not like yours, and my ways are different from yours. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways and thoughts above yours" (Isa 55:8&9). Should it be difficult for us to accept the miracles of God? Not really. God is God. It is part of His nature to do supernatural things. His ways as far beyond ours.

Christmas is over, but the doctrine of the Virgin Birth stands. Trust in the living Jesus, God incarnate, now and throughout the new year. He will not fail you. Look to him as you Lord and Savior.

PRAYER

Lord help us to accept your ways, even though we don't always understand. Give us the faith to do so. Bless us in the coming year, that we may grow to live closer and closer to you each day. In Jesus name we pray. Amen